The Catholic Church has planned a warm welcome for Catholic athletes competing in the world’s first Youth Olympic Games (YOG), which will open on Saturday.However, religious services will not be offered in the Olympic village, the Games’ organising committee said.
Participants may use prayer rooms in the village’s Multi-Faith Centre, but have to travel outside for services such as Mass or other religious functions.
Local religious groups will direct athletes to their nearest place of worship. The closest Catholic Church is Saint Francis of Assisi in Loon Bay.
The local parish priest, Fr John Lau, and his assistant, Fr Gerard Weerakoon, have encouraged their parishioners to welcome the athletes.
They also said that they would also hear confessions and say prayers upon request.
“As Catholics, we must be welcoming as a community to anybody who comes into our midst as this is the social responsibility of the Church,” Saint Francis parishioner Francis Mane said.
Singapore’s youth chaplain Fr Brian D’Souza will also be on call if athletes want to speak to a religious leader. Nonetheless, he is disappointed that he cannot organise prayer services and masses for them.
Whilst the Games’ social and sporting aspects have been well taken care of, more could have been done to cater to the participants’ religious needs, Fr Brian said.
When asked why no religious services are provided, the Games’ organising committee said, “We have provided a Multi-Faith Center as a communal space for residents to utilize. If residents would like to visit a place of worship, Singapore 2010 YOG staff are on hand to refer them to the various sites within the vicinity.”
Singapore’s approach differs from that taken at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where a Religious Services Centre was set up in the Olympic Village, with priests, imams and religious leaders of various faiths available.
“Setting up a Religious Services Center in the Olympic Village is a vital responsibility for the Olympic host city,” read a statement on the official website of the Beijing Olympics.
SIC: SperoNews